National Heroes

All countries have their national heroes and heroines. We usually learn about these people through out our history lessons at school. Heroes and heroines are often leaders who fought against a more powerful enemy. The earliest leader in British history was Queen Boadicea, who led a rebellion against the Romans. There is a statue of her on Westminster Bridge in London.

In Scotland, the most famous leader is Robert the Bruce. He defeated the English in one of the many wars between England and Scotland which took place before two countries were united.

Not all national heroes and heroines are leaders. Some are inventors, explores or pioneers in particular field.

III Speak to your teacher. You begin the conversation.

You’ve invited your foreign guests to a school party which your classmates are planning to celebrate Moscow City Day. Discuss with your teacher when and how to organise the party.

CARD 18

I Read the article and answer your teacher’s questions.

Inventions That Changed the World

FLIGHT

For many centuries people watched birds and dreamed that they could fly. We cannot fly like birds: we don` t have enough strength in our arms to move wings up and down. We also really need the power of an engine to drive up forward. Many people died learning these lessons, before controlled flight became possible.

The first flying machine which could carry a human being was built in the in Spain in 875. Reports tell us that the inventor flew some distance, but the landing was hard: the man hurt his back badly and was never able to fly again.

It was possible that the news of his flight reached England, carried there by men returning from war in the Middle East. Whether this is true or not, in 1010 a man called Oliver jumped off a church roof in Mulmesbury. This time we know the distance of his flight - 125 steps.

In the last years of the 15^th century, the Italian Leonardo da Vinci studied the flight of birds and made a number of drawings of flying machines. His early machines tried to copy the movement of birds` wings, which he didn’t fully understand. But less than 10 years before his death in 1519, he drew a machine with wings that didn’t move. One of the machines was built and it did fly.

In 15 36 in France, Denis Bolor returned to the idea of moving wings. He tried to fly using wings that were moved up and down. The idea didn` t work and he fell to his death. (1122)

II Read the text and say how many bank holidays there are in all the countries of the UK.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14